Fruit juicing machine



Oct. 30, 1962 Original Filed July 7, 1958 R. L. WURGAFT 3,060,984

FRUIT JUICING MACHINE 3 SheetsSheer. 1

INVENTOR. .FOBE/PTZ. fixer/1:7-

Z ma Oct. 30, 1962 R. 1 WURGAFT FRUIT JUICING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheef 2Original Filed July 7, 1958 I lllllllll INVENTOR. EOBPTL MQ44FI Via/mfiw Oct. 30, 1962 R. L, WURGAFT FRUIT JUIC'ING MACHINE Original FiledJuly '7, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Ros/e7 l. VURGAFT States UniteThis invention relates to machines for extracting juice by pressure fromfruit and more particularly relates to a machine for extracting juicefrom citrus fruit. This is a continuation of my copending applicationSerial Number 746,930, filed July 7, 1958, now abandoned, on FruitJuicing Machine.

Although a large business in selling orange juice is conducted byroad-side stands, few such stands squeeze the juice while the purchaserwatches. The purchaser consequently is left in doubt as to how fresh thejuice is. This lax merchandising is, in my opinion, neces sitated bytime and economy. The stand operator is often alone; an automobile fullof people often presents three to six customers at one instant, and itis well known that one car or one truck draws others; the operatorsimply cannot give the time to pushing oranges through a machine, norcan he or she afford an assistant. There are numerous fully automaticjuicing machines for large scale commercial operations, but these arenot at all suited to squeezing two or twenty oranges at a time and thenstopping. The stand operator must squeeze before customers arrive andlet potential customers speculate as to freshness.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a fruit-juicingmachine which is fully automatic, which is of such small size as toeasily be set on a table or service counter or even be moved around andwhich may economically extract juice from any number of oranges, fromone upward.

It is another object of my invention to provide a citrus juicer intowhich the operator may throw a number of oranges, perhaps even selectedby the customer, and the customer may see these same oranges appear oneby one, sliced, juiced and the juice appear in a glass, while the standoperator is busy with other parts of an order.

A further object of my invention is to provide a citrus juicer which,while primarily intended for small commercial operations, is yetsuitable for either family use or for great hotels.

It is specifically an object of my invention to provide a citrus juicerwhich, once set in motion, need not be watched or tended and which isboth economic and rapid.

Further objects and advantages of my citrus juicer will be pointed outas this description proceeds, or will be apparent from the specificationtaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a complete citrus juicer, according tomy invention, showing the machine as it might appear on a roat-sidestand counter;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and onan enlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 2, atright angles to the view of FIGURE 2 and looking toward the rear of themachine, showing pressure fingers in position to grasp an orange;

FIGURE 4 is another vertical sectional view at right angles to the viewof FIGURE 2 taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2 and looking toward thefront of the machine with cover parts broken away to show interiormechanism;

' atet FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan View as indicated by the line5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar in aspect toFIGURE 3, but on the line 66 of FIGURE 2 and showing the pressurefingers in the position of having finished slicing an orange;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 77 of FIGURE 4 showingdetails of the driving means for burr-heads for juicing;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective detail of screening means for separating juiceand pulp; and

FIGURE 9 shows one of the swinging arms of the machine.

Having reference now to the details of the drawing, my improvedfruit-juicing machine may be contained in a box 10, the rearward part ofwhich is a bin 11 holding a supply of fruit, the central part 12containing a motor 13 and driving mechanism 14 and also a conveyor 15for lifting the fruit, and the forward part 16 containingjuice-extracting mechanism. Partitions 17 and 18 respectively divide thebin 11 from the central part 12, and the central part 12 from thejuicing compartment 16, and thus facilitate keeping the box as a wholein a sanitary condition. A door (not shown) mounted on hinges 19 admitsto the interior of the compartments 12 and 16.

The conveyor has cups 20' mounted on a chain 21 which runs aroundsprockets 22 and 23. The cups 20 extend through a slot 24 in thepartition 17 into the bin 11 where they may pick up fruit such asoranges 25. The drive shaft 26 of the lower sprocket 23 has mounted onit a bevel gear 27 which is driven by another bevel gear 28. The shaft29 on which the bevel gear 28 is mounted is in turn driven by a chain 30mounted on sprockets 31 and 32. The sprocket 32 is driven by a reductiongear 33, aligning clutch 34 and shaft 35 from the motor 13. The bottom36 of the bin 11 is sloped to cause oranges or other fruit to roll tothe conveyor 15, and access from the lower part of the bin 11 to thelower part of the central compartment 12 may be had through doors 37which hang on hinges 38.

The cups 20 of the conveyor 15 discharge fruit into an inclined chute40. Mounted below the lower end of the chute 40 is a knife 41 mounted ina triangular holding block 42 and having its cutting edge 43 upward soas to split fruit coming to it from the chute 40. Secured to the ends ofthe knife 41 below the edge 43 are bow springs 44. An orange 25 rollingfrom the chute 40 will land on the cutting edge 43 and will be heldthere by the bow springs 44, each of which engages the orange at twospaced positions and thus prevents the orange toppling from the knife.

Secured to the sides of the block 42 are aprons 45 on which the halves46 of split fruit slide by gravity to burring stations. The aprons 45have openings 47 large enough to permit passage of a fruit half. At thebase of the openings 47 are retaining plates 48 secured to the aprons 45in the form of open-bottomed Vs for holding fruit that has slid down theaprons. The V-form of the retaining plates 48 insures that the fruithalves will be accurately centered upon the openings 47; to make certainthat halves of small fruit do not escape, additional supporting fingers49 may be disposed between the plates 48. The openings 47 are partiallyclosed by elastic closures 50 attached to the under or inner sides ofthe aprons 45 which are split down the center to create openings 51smaller than the openings 47 so that the edges 52 of the openings 51 arestretched like curtain drapes across a window. The elastic closures 50have enough strength to hold a fruit half 46 from tumbling through anopening 47, but nevertheless will yield and 3 spread open to permit afruit half to be pushed through the opening.

Secured in bearings '55 to the top of the central compartment are twoshafts 56 and 57. The shaft 56' has secured to it a gear sector 58 withlever arm 59 and the lever arm 59 is connected to the sprocket 32 by aconnecting rod 60 arranged so that rotation of the sprocket 32 causesoscillation of the gear sector 58. Meshing with the gear sector 58 isanother gear sector 61 mounted on the shaft 57.

The shafts 56 and 57 thus caused to oscillate by their respective gearsectors 58 and 61 extend through the partition 18 into the forwardcompartment 16 on each side of the knife 41 and just below the cuttingedge 43 of the knife where they form the pivot points 63 and 64 for arms65 and 66. The arms 65 and 66 spaced apart at their pivot points 63 and64 have curved fingers 67 at their upper ends and cups 68 at their lowerends. From a substantially vertical position of the arms 65 and 66 thefingers 67 are arranged to swing convergently and then downwardly and toint-erlace as they converge. At the same instant the cups 68 swingdivergently and then upwardly. The fingers 67 will converge upon a fruitheld upon the knife edge 43 by the bow springs 44 and by then forcingthe fruit downward upon the knife, will cause the fruit to split and itshalves 46 to release from the fingers and to slide down the aprons tothe retaining plates 48 and supporting fingers 49.

That one of the fingers 67 nearest the chute 40 carries upon its back asheet metal gate 69 which is brought across the end of the chute 40 toclose the chute by the converging and downward movement of the fingerspressing a fruit again-st the knife and which is swung upward and awayfrom the chute 40 by the upward and divergent swinging of the fingers 67to then permit another fruit to fall from the chute. All the fingers 67have notches 67a which the knife edge may enter to cut the last bit ofrind.

The arms 65 and 66 extend downward from the pivot points 63 and 64 sothat the arcs through which the cups 68 swing are aligned with theopening 47 and 51. The cups 68 are designed and arranged to engage thefruit halves 46 which have been caught by the retaining plates 48 andsupport fingers 49 and to push the fruit halves through the openings 51in the elastic closures against reamers or burr-heads 70, as best shownin FIGURE 3. The burr-heads 70 are arranged back to back extendingoutwardly from a splash-guard 71. The splash-guard 71 protects a pulley72 and belt 73 from juices extracted by the burr-heads 70 and alsoprotects the bearings 74 of the shaft 75 on which the burr-heads 70 andpulley 7-2 are mounted and which may suitably be mounted in thesplash-guard 71. The belt 73 is driven from a pulley 76 on the shaft 35of the motor 13.

It will be seen the swinging arms and 66 successively cause a fruit tobe sliced and then to be juiced. The cups 68 swing downwardly and thenswing convergently so that they may bring the fruit halves 46 to theburrheads in a horizontal movement and may swing away from theburr-heads in the reverse horizontal movement which assists them indisposing of the rinds. For this purpose the cups 68 are provided withslots 78 through which leaf springs 79 may pass. The springs 79 are bentdown by contact with the fruit halves 46 as the cups 68 swingconvergently, but spring up when the cups have passed them and againmake contact with the rinds held by the cups as the cups swingoutwardly. The rinds are thus knocked from the cups 68 and fall uponpeel slides 80, down which they slide to exit ports 81 where they may becollected. The support fingers 49 also pass through the slots 78. Thepeel slides 80 are provided with a multiplicity of perforations 81 whichpermit the juice to drain through to a catch basin. 82 from which it canbe removed through a pet-cock 83. A certain amount of pulp will fallupon the slides 80 and the con- 4- stant Wiping by the sliding peelshelps to drain the pulp and adds to the recovery of juice.

Since the cups 20 on the conveyor 15 may be spaced so that their depositof fruit in the chute 40 coincides with one complete oscillation of theswinging arm 65 and 66, it is imposisble to over-feed my improvedjuicing machine. Any suitable timing device may be added to the machineby which the motor 13 runs while a predetermined number of fruits arejuiced or the motor may be governed by a float control in the catchbasin 82.

The disclosed embodiment is not to be construed as a limitation upon myinvention the scope of which is deemed to include any desirableconstructive modification within the spirit and breadth of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a fruit-juicing machine: a frame, a pair of spaced arms; fingerson one end of each of said arms for grasping a fruit; cups on the otherends of said arms for grasping, each, a half fruit; means on said framebetween said fingers and said cups for pivotally connecting said arms tosaid frame; means operably connected to said arms for causingoscillating swinging movement of said arms about said pivot means; aknife blade disposed on said frame to split a fruit pressed thereagainstby said fingers; and burr heads disposed on said frame to ream splitportions of fruit pressed thereagainst by said cups.

2. In a fruit-juicing machine: a frame, a pair of spaced arms pivotallymounted on said frame adjacent their mid-points for alternately swingingtheir like ends convergently; means on said frame for causingoscillating swinging movement of said arms; a knife blade on said frame;fingers on one end of each of said arms for grasping a fruit andpressing said fruit against said knife blade to split said fruit; cupson the other ends of said arms for grasping, each, a half fruit; meanson said frame aligned with the arcs through which said cups swing forcatching and holding half fruit portions so that said swinging cups maygrasp said portions; and burr heads on said frame aligned with said arcsfor reaming half fruit portions grasped by said swinging cups.

3. In a fruit-juicing machine: a frame, a pair of spaced arms havinggenerally upper and lower ends and movable in the same vertical planeand pivoted adjacent their mid-points to said frame for alternatelyswinging their respective upper ends convergently and downwardly andtheir respective lower end downwardly and convergently; means operablyconnected to said arms for imparting oscillating swinging movement tosaid arms; a knife blade on said frame between and below said upper armends; fingers on said upper arm ends arranged for cooperatively graspinga fruit and by said swinging movement pressing said fruit downward uponsaid knife blade to split said fruit; burr heads on said frame alignedwith the arcs through which said lower arm ends swing; and cups on saidlower arm ends for grasping split portions of fruit and swinging saidsplit portions against said burr heads.

4. In a fruit-juicing machine: a frame, a pair of spaced arms havingpivot points on said frame adjacent their mid-points for swinging in thesame vertical plane and having like ends swinging convergently anddownwardly above said pivot points and other like ends swingingdownwardly and convergently below said pivot points; means operablyconnected to said arms for imparting oscillating swinging movement tosaid arms; fingers on sadi firstmentioned ends, said fingers on one ofsaid arms being arranged to interlace with said fingers of the other ofsaid arms when said first-mentioned ends converge so as then to grasp afruit and press said fruit downward; a knife blade on said frame betweenand below said first-mentioned ends upon which said fingers may presssaid fruit to split said fruit; aprons on said frame below said knifeblade diverging downwardly upon which split portions of said fruit mayslide; cups on said last-mentioned arm ends adapted to grasp said splitportions of fruit; burrs on said frame aligned with the arcs throughwhich said cups are swung; said aprons having openings aligned with saidburrs and said cup through which said cups may swing said split portionsof fruit against said burrs; and means for arresting and holding saidsplit portions of fruit opposite to said openings until said cups graspsaid portions.

5. In a fruit-juicing machine: a frame, an arm, means adjacent one endof said arm for contacting a fruit, a cup adjacent the other end of saidarm for grasping a half fruit; means on said frame between saidcontacting means and said cup for pivotally connecting said arm to saidframe, means operably connected to said arm for causing swingingmovement of said arm about said pivot means, a knife blade on said framedisposed to split a fruit pressed thereagainst by said contacting means,and a reamer on said frame disposed to ream split portions of fruitpressed thereagainst by said cup.

6. The machine of claim 5 including means aligned with the are throughwhich said cup swings for catching and holding half fruit portions sothat said swinging cup may grasp said portions.

7. In a fruit-juicing machine: a frame, a pair of spaced arms havinggenerally upper and lower ends and movable in the same vertical planeand pivoted adjacent their mid-points to said frame for alternatelyswinging their respective upper ends convergently and downwardly andtheir respective lower ends downwardly and convergently; means operablyconnected to said arms for imparting oscillating swinging movement tosaid arms; a knife blade on said frame between and below said upper armends; means on said upper arm ends arranged for cooperatively contactinga fruit and by said swinging movement pressing said fruit downward uponsaid knife blade to split said fruit; burr heads on said frame alignedwith the arcs through which said lower arm ends swing; and cups on saidlower arm ends for grasping split portions of fruit and swinging saidsplit portions against said burr heads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,620,551 Hughes Mar. 8, 1927 2,737,989 Wurgaft Mar. 13, 1956 2,853,107Alexander Sept. 23, 1958

